EchoThread is completely free during the beta period — no credit card required. After beta, the Hobby tier stays free for personal sites. Anyone who signs up during beta keeps Hobby free for life on every site they create.

Will EchoThread always be free?

Yes for the Hobby tier — that's the commitment. Paid plans start at $5/month when you outgrow the free limits (10,000 page views and 1,000 comments per month, per site). See the pricing page for the full breakdown.

Does EchoThread work with WordPress, Next.js, and static sites?

Yes. EchoThread works on any website. Just add a div and a script tag before your closing body tag — no plugins or framework-specific setup required.

Does EchoThread track my users?

No. EchoThread does not use third-party cookies, does not serve ads, and does not sell or share user data. Privacy is a core principle, not a feature toggle.

What happens after the beta?

Paid plans launch alongside the post-beta release. All sites and data created during beta carry over. Beta users keep the Hobby tier free for life on every site they've already created.

What authentication options are available?

Commenters can sign in with Google or GitHub. Site owners authenticate via magic link email. Only logged-in users can post; guests can read and browse freely.

How does spam detection work?

When spam filtering is enabled, every new comment is scored by a dedicated machine-learning classifier as it is submitted. High-confidence spam is filtered automatically; borderline cases land in your moderation queue for review.

Free during beta · Beta sites keep Hobby free · No tracking

Comments without the
surveillance tax.

EchoThread helps privacy-led blogs, docs sites, and indie SaaS teams replace bloated comment tools. One script tag. Threaded conversations, rich media, reactions, spam filtering, and a full moderation dashboard — without ads or behavioral tracking.

Start free in 30 seconds Plan your migration

Setup: 1 script tag
Beta: No card needed
Migration: Disqus import
Performance: ~18 KB gzip

EchoThread comment widget showing threaded comments with reactions, link previews, and image attachments

Built for modern websites

Works on any website

Under 20 KB gzipped

Zero tracking

Free during beta

Built around Google's Core Web Vitals and the HTTP Archive page-weight budget — so the widget stays under 20 KB gzipped and doesn't tank your LCP, INP, or CLS scores.

Migration paths

Switch without losing the conversations you already earned.

Most teams looking for a comment system are not starting from zero. EchoThread is built for the three moments that create purchase intent: leaving Disqus, adding comments to docs, and cleaning up spam-heavy communities.

Create a migration workspace Read the import guide

Leaving Disqus

Import existing threads from a Disqus XML export, keep old page discussions together, and remove ad-network weight from article pages.

Best first action: import test

Adding comments to docs

Drop the widget into static sites, product docs, changelogs, and tutorials without pulling in a heavy framework plugin.

Best first action: embed guide

Outgrowing GitHub-only comments

Keep reader discussion on your site instead of forcing every commenter into a developer account or issue-thread workflow.

Best first action: live demo

Cleaning up spam

Use ML scoring, moderation queues, and login-gated posting to stop drive-by spam without shutting down real replies.

Best first action: dashboard demo

Live demo

Try it right now

This is a live EchoThread widget. Sign in and leave a comment — no signup required to see it in action.

Features

Everything you need,
nothing you don't

A complete commenting system that respects your users and gives you full control.

Conversations

Threaded replies

Nested conversations up to 5 levels deep keep discussions organized and easy to follow.

Emoji reactions

Like, Love, Haha, and Angry reactions let readers engage without cluttering the thread.

Image attachments

Upload JPEG, PNG, GIF, or WebP images directly into comments. Automatic resizing and optimization.

Link previews

Paste a URL and get a rich Open Graph preview card with title, description, and thumbnail — automatically.

Text formatting

Bold and italic formatting with a simple toolbar. Ctrl+B and Ctrl+I keyboard shortcuts included.

Smart sorting

Sort comments by newest, oldest, most liked, or most replied. Readers find the best content first.

Moderation & Safety

Moderation dashboard

Approve, reject, or delete comments from a clean, purpose-built dashboard. Filter by status with one click.

AI spam filter

A purpose-built ML classifier scores new comments when spam filtering is enabled, flagging promo spam, scam links, and AI-generated noise.

Auto-approve mode

Choose between manual review for every comment, or auto-approve for a hands-off experience. Toggle per site.

Notification bell

See unread counts when new comments arrive or spam is detected. Never miss a conversation.

Edit & delete

Comment authors can edit or delete their own comments. Moderators can override any comment status.

Login to comment

Only authenticated users can post comments — guests can read and browse. Sign in with Google or GitHub.

Developer experience

Lightweight & fast

Under 20 KB gzipped. Zero dependencies. Pure vanilla JavaScript that won't slow down your page.

Fully themeable

Light and dark themes built in, or pass any hex color for a custom background. CSS custom properties for full control.

Mobile-first responsive

Looks great on every screen size. Touch-friendly interactions and adaptive layouts out of the box.

Simple API

RESTful API with API-key authentication. Manage sites, threads, comments, and users programmatically.

CORS-ready embed

One script tag on any domain. No iframes, no third-party cookies, no cross-origin headaches.

Your data, always

Backed by DynamoDB and S3. Full API access to export your data anytime. No vendor lock-in.

Quick setup

Add comments in 3 steps

From zero to live comments in under a minute.

Create your site

Drop in the snippet

Paste two lines of HTML before your closing </body> tag.

<div id="echothread"
     data-api-key="YOUR_API_KEY"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.echothread.io/widget.js"></script>

You're live

Comments appear on the page after submission. Manage everything from the moderation dashboard — approve, reject, filter spam, and track conversations across all your pages.

How we compare

EchoThread vs. the alternatives

An honest comparison — including where the open-source projects we admire win.

Feature	EchoThread	Disqus	Giscus	Cusdis	Hyvor Talk
Free tier	Yes (Hobby, forever)	Yes (with ads)	Yes (open source)	Yes (self-host)	No (trial only)
Open source	No (yet)	No	Yes	Yes	No
Self-hostable	No	No	Yes (uses GitHub)	Yes	No
Sign-in for commenters	Google or GitHub	Account required	GitHub only	Optional	Optional
Bundle size	~18 KB gzipped	~700 KB+	~30 KB	<10 KB	~80 KB
Spam filter	ML classifier	Heuristic	GitHub gating	Manual	Heuristic
Image uploads	Yes	Yes	Markdown only	No	Yes
Reactions	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Hosted backend	Yes	Yes	No (uses GitHub)	No (self-host)	Yes
Ads / tracking	Never	Yes	No	No	No

Comparison reflects publicly documented features as of May 2026. Giscus and Cusdis are open-source projects we admire — if hosting your own backend or routing comments through GitHub fits your workflow, they're great choices.

AI scanning

Moderation queue

live

??
crypto_winz_2026 Spam · 0.97
🔥🔥 CLICK HERE FOR FREE BITCOIN bit.ly/x42 limited time only...
SC
Sarah Chen Approved · 0.04
Great write-up — the ESM section finally cleared up our import errors.
??
replica_outlet Spam · 0.94
Best replica handbags 70% off! visit our store at outlet-deals(dot)example...
MR
Marcus Rivera Approved · 0.02
Does this play nicely with Astro's view transitions? Migrating off Disqus.
Scoring…

Siftfy classifier— ML scoring inline

verdict in < 100ms

NewAI moderation

Spam doesn't
stand a chance.

When spam filtering is enabled, every new comment is scored by a dedicated machine-learning classifier as it's posted. Promotional spam, scam links, AI-generated noise, and bot floods are flagged automatically so moderators can focus on real conversations.

Trained on real comment data
Catches modern spam patterns — promo URLs, AI-generated filler, copy-paste scams — that keyword filters miss entirely.
Inline scoring
Scoring runs during comment submission. Low-risk comments can publish immediately when auto-approve is on; high-risk spam goes to the spam queue.
You stay in control
Flagged comments land in a queue you can review or restore. Toggle spam filtering and auto-approval per site.

Moderation

A dashboard built for moderators

Approve, reject, and filter comments with one click. See pending counts, spam flags, and unread comment notifications. Manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.

Filter by status: pending, approved, rejected, spam
Notification bell with unread count
Auto-approve toggle, spam filter, and per-site settings
One-click embed code with copy to clipboard

Try the dashboard

EchoThread moderation dashboard showing comment queue with approve, reject, and filter controls

Built in public

Made by Yoni (Cigan)

Indie developer, founder of VectraSEO and a handful of other small products. EchoThread is one person, no VC, no surveillance ad model — just a comment platform built for the open web.

Learn more

Docs, guides, and migration walkthroughs

Whether you're embedding the widget for the first time or migrating thousands of threads from another platform, we've written the guide.

Documentation

EchoThread docs — add comments in 60 seconds

Quick-start snippet, configuration reference, theming, and step-by-step embed guides for WordPress, Next.js, Hugo, Astro, Ghost, Jekyll, Eleventy, and Gatsby.

Read the docs

Blog

EchoThread blog — moderation, migration, monetization

Practical playbooks on running a healthy comment section, exporting Disqus or Hyvor Talk threads, stopping spam with AI, and monetizing a reader community.

Browse the blog

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before getting started.

Is EchoThread free?: EchoThread is completely free during the beta period — no credit card required. After beta, the Hobby tier stays free for personal sites. Anyone who signs up during beta keeps Hobby free for life on every site they create.
Will EchoThread always be free?: Yes for the Hobby tier — that's the commitment. Paid plans start at $5/month when you outgrow the free limits (10,000 page views and 1,000 comments per month, per site). See the pricing page for the full breakdown.
Does EchoThread work with WordPress, Next.js, and static sites?: Yes. EchoThread works on any website. Just add a div and a script tag before your closing body tag — no plugins or framework-specific setup required.
Does EchoThread track my users?: No. EchoThread does not use third-party cookies, does not serve ads, and does not sell or share user data. Privacy is a core principle, not a feature toggle.
What happens after the beta?: Paid plans launch alongside the post-beta release. All sites and data created during beta carry over. Beta users keep the Hobby tier free for life on every site they've already created.
What authentication options are available?: Commenters can sign in with Google or GitHub. Site owners authenticate via magic link email. Only logged-in users can post; guests can read and browse freely.
How does spam detection work?: When spam filtering is enabled, every new comment is scored by a dedicated machine-learning classifier as it is submitted. High-confidence spam is filtered automatically; borderline cases land in your moderation queue for review. You can also enable manual approval mode to gate every comment before it goes live.

Comments without thesurveillance tax.